Sunday 18 September 2011 12.59 EDT
First published on Sunday 18 September 2011 12.59 EDT

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after an alleged intruder was stabbed to death at a house in Stockport.

The 39-year-old man detained by police is believed to be the householder at the home in Bramhall.

Police found the alleged intruder, who was in his late 30s, with knife injuries when they were called to the house at 7.50pm on Saturday. He was given first aid by paramedics but died a short time later.

A 33-year-old man who is believed to have fled the scene in a white Citroën van was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of aggravated burglary.

The two men reportedly forced their way into the house and threatened the householder before one of the assailants suffered fatal knife injuries.

Floral tributes to the dead man – referred to as "Ray", "Raymond" and "Uncle Raymondo"– from family and friends were placed at the scene. One read: "Love you son. Going to miss you more than anything."

Police said it was understood that two men had entered the house and threatened the occupant, who was alone. His wife and 12-year-old son returned home during the incident but were unharmed. The couple who live at the address were named locally as Vincent and Karen Cooke.

Chief Superintendent Tim Forber, of Greater Manchester police, said: "Clearly this is a serious incident in which a man has lost his life and, at this time, we believe the dead man was one of two men who were attempting to carry out a burglary at the house."

A police cordon was in place around the premises. It is the third incident of its kind in Greater Manchester in recent months. In June Peter Flanagan, 59, fatally stabbed an intruder at his home in Salford after he was confronted by masked men wielding machetes. A month later florist Cecil Coley, 72, stabbed a burglar at his shop in Old Trafford. Both men were arrested on suspicion of murder but later released without charge as the Crown Prosecution Service ruled they acted in reasonable self-defence.